EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Chapter 12

After I finally learned to read independent reading was one of my favorite things to do in school. I couldnt wait for a day that we would have free time and I loved when I finished my assignmets early and my teacher would give me time to read on my own. I love the fact that independent reading is a time when children are given the chance to read whatever they want to. What kid wouldnt like that? The main point of independant reading is the the students are reading for their own pleasure and therefore get to choose what they read.

I love how the text book talked about how to organize a classroom library. Ive been in many differnt classrooms and each one that I was in had great libraries for their students. They way you have your classroom library set up and the books you have in it will have and affect on the students and how or if they discover a love of books. Reading is one of my favorite things to do and one of my goals as a future teacher is to have a good classroom library that is engaging for my students.

This chapter also discussed choosing the right time to read. I believe that this is somehting very important. If you choose to have reading at the end of the day many of the students may have trouble concentrating on reading. Instead they will be waiting for the bell to ring so that they can leave. I remember when I was in school that independent reading was usually done before or after lunch. Sometimes if we finished an assignment before all of our classmates we got to have our own special independant reading time while we waited for everyone else to complte their work.

EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Author Study

Among the Hidden

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ages: 8 - 12

This book is great for children who like some mystery and adventure in the books that they read. This is the first book in Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series.

This particular book is about Luke, who is a third child in a place where people are only allowed to have two children. He is a shadow child, a third child who has been forbidden by the population police. As a result Like has lived his entire life in hiding. One day Luke sees a girls face in a window. He knows two children alreay live in the house where he saw the girl so he knows the she is a shadow child like him. Will Luke risk everything to come out of the shadows with the girl?

www.fantasticfiction.co.uk

EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Chapter 11

Chapter eleven was about shared and suided reading. Shared reading is the collarborative activity in which students and teachers read carefully selected texts and usually in an enlarged formats. This kind of actiovioty is appropriate for all ages if the students intent of the given instruction is to study and learn together. I liked how the text gave some examples of how you could provide enjoyable experinces with books.

Something that I liked from the shared reading part of the text book was where it talked about examining books. It stated that you should do this proior to using particular sections in the classroom. An example that was used was that even though the book was in large format that it didnt mean that it was appropriate for shared reading lessons. This is something that I agree with strongly. I think it is very important for teachers to read and learn about a book before using it with their students.

Guided reading is what provides the oppourtunity for the pratice of shared reading to occur in a supportive context. It is where teacher will show their students the "tricks of the trade" and then provide focused support to help them become independent readers and writers. Our text book states the this is approprite for all ages and I agree. I think it is important for teachers to help students become good independent readers and writers, and it is something that will help them as they coutinue to move up in their education.

EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Author Study

There's a Boy In the Girls Bathroom

Author: Lous Sachar

Ages: 8 - 12

I frequently visit my mothers fifth grade class and work with her students. The other day I was there and she was reading this book to her students and they seemed so into and liked it so much I just had to check it out.

The book is about Bradley Chalkers. At school Bradley is a misfit as well as a liar and a bully. He doesn't have any friends at school. His only friends are the stuffed animals he has at home. His favorite ones and best friends are Ronnie and Bartholomew. Many of his clasmates think that he is mean and is a monster. Many times he agrees with them. When Bradley is forced to see the new school counselor she see the "nice" Bradley that is beneath the surface. But just when Bradley is getting to like her the school board decided to replace her.

I think that this is a good book to use in that classroom because the main character is one that students can relate to and thats what helps them enjoy the book.

www.loissachar.com

EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Chapter 10

Chapter ten emphasized how important it is to share books and read aloud to children, and how reading aloud can bring literature aloud for all children. The book discussed how some teachers think that since their students are older and able to read that they do not need to be read to. Honestly dont agree with that at all, and Im glad that I never had any teachers like that. Reading aloud is benifical to all ages no matter what grade they are in. I think that this has the biggest affect when it is done in elementary school. If a foundtion to help students love of reading can be built when they are younger most will still enjoy reading when they are older.
Some benefits of reading aloud are that it is a way to improve the students isterning skills ant it helps with reading and discusions.

I rember that I used to love read alouds when I was in elementary school and I still love them to this day.

EDRG 3344 - Expository

For my expository piece I created a game. The game I created was literature bingo. The TEKS that I choose focused on the students knowing and reading different types of literature like, novels, fiction, nonfiction etc. as well as the student using their reading to help them with writing. Since it focused on them knowing different genres of literature I created literature bingo. This game is played similar to bingo. I actually created two different ways that you could play this game. One way you just use a call sheet with the list of word and the students have to find it on their card. The second way is a little bit harder because I made it to play using defintions. For example instead of calling out the fable and having the students find it, you would say the definition to the word. If you play the second way the student needs to actully know and remember what the type of literature is to find it on their card. I thought that this would be a fun way to help the students learn the differnt types of genres, instead of giving them another test they can play a game and still learn at the same time.

EDRG 3321 Wed Night - Author Study

Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Ages: 12 and up

Good for fifth grade and up

Everything started when Stanley Yelnats was accused of stealing some shoes that were donated by Clyde "Sweetfeet"Livingston. After that Stanley is sentenced to serve time at Camp Greenlake. Stanley blames his misfortune on his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.

At Camp Greenlake the wardern makes all the boys dig holes and tells them it is because it will help them build character. Soon enough Stanley figures out that the digging of holes has more to do that juilding character when he realizes the warden is searching for something.

My mom has actually used this book in her fifth grade class and the students really love it. I think it can just be used a fun book too use when doing reading as a class.